Rural-mail-delivery device.



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` G. V. KINNEY. RURAL MAIL DELIVERY DEVICE.

n h APPLIO'ATION FILED MAB, 5, 1909.A

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

G. V. KIN N EY. RURAL 'MAIL DELIVERY DEVICE. APPLIOATIOH r11-.1m um. 5, 1909.

Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

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srs a RURAL-MAIL-Dnnrvnnv D'V'ICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application ined March 5, 190e. sei-m1 No. 481,470.

1b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Groen V. KixNnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenyon, in the county of Goodhue and State of ivlinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rural Mail- Deliv ery Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will Venable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and eiiicient mail carrying device, especially adapted for use in carrying mail from the road to a house located at considerable distance from the road.

To the above ends, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the improved mail carrying device installed for use; Fig. Q is a view in elevation showing in detail the mechanism preferably located inside of the house adjacent to a window thereof for operating the carrier; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line rc3 of Fig. 9.; and Fig. 1 is a detail view in elevation showing the manner in which the track wire and operating cable of the carrier are mounted on one ofthe supporting posts therefor'.

The numeral 1 indicates a house or other building, and the numeral 2 indicates a fence located by the side of a road at a distance from. the house.

The numeral 3 indicates posts which support the track wire and endless operating cable of the device. The numeral 4 indicates the said line wire which extends from one of the windows of the building l to the outermost post 23 and is supported from the said posts by the upt-urned extremities of brackets 5. Also the said brackets 5 are provided with lower arms on which guide sheaves 6 are journaled. The endless operating cable or wire T runs over the several guide sheaves (-3 and under laterally spaced guide sheaves 8 secured on the side of the building adjacent to one of the windows 1."L thereof. The cable 7 extends into the building and, as

shown, is run over a large peripherally grooved driving wheel t) and Vover a smaller idle sheave 10, both of which are suitably mounted in the interior of the building. The operating cable 'T is under such tension that the wheel S) will have ample frictionaln dri ving engagement therewith. Also, as shown, the driving wheel 9 is 'provided with a small sprocket 1l, over which and alarger sprocket 1:2 a sprocket chain 13 is run. The driving sprocket 12 is shown as provided with an operating crank la by mea'n's of which it may be rotated.

The mail is adapted :to be deposited 'in "a hopper-like mail box 15, shown as provided with a displaceable cover 16 and connected by a hanger 17 to the body 18` of a small traveler or truck, the wheels '19 of which are arranged to run upon 'the track wire 4. The body portion of this box 15 is connected by a short liexible cable Vor connection 2() too'ne portion of the endless operating cable 7. The word cable herein used is broad 'enough to .include a cord, rope, cable 'or chain.

The numeral 21 indicates a push button located in the outermost post S3 and the numeral indicates an electrically actuated bell within the building and preferably connected to the said push button, so that the mail carrier, after depositing mail, may ring the said bell and thereby notify the occupants of the house that mail has been deposited.

rl`he operation of the mail carrying device is as follows: IVhen the cable 7 is driven in one direction, the box and its supporting truck will be positively moved from the house toward and to the outermost post 3, in which position it is adapted to receive the mail; and. when the said cable is driven in an opposite direction, the said box and its truck will be moved from the said outermost post to the house adjacent to the window' 12L thereof, in which position, when the window is open, the mail may be readily removed from the box. The flexible connection 20 will move the mail box 15 and its supporting truck into one position or the other, depending on the direction in which the said cable 7 is moved, and, as is evident, the direction of the movement of said cable depends upon the direction of the rotation of the operating sprocket 12. In some in stances, it may be possible to directly connect one end of the short ieXible cable 20 Patented lll'ar. 7, 1911.

to the box supporting truck or traveler, but even in this instance, from a broad point of view, it will be connected, although indirectly, to the said box. The expression box is also herein used in a broad sense to designate a suitable carrying receptacle. This receptacle, however, when used for carrying mail, should be a tightly closed box in order to protect the contents thereof from rain, snow and diit.

This device, as is evident, may be very easily operated regardless of the distan-cc of the house from the road, and is especially well adapted for use in rural districts whci'e houses are usually located a long distance Vfrom the road.

In Fig. 3, the numerals 23 and 24 indicate wires extending from the bell 22, respectively, to the ground and to the track wire 4; and in Fig. 4, the numerals 25 and 26 indicate wires that extend from the push button 2l, respectively, to the ground and to the track wire 4, the track wire, as is evident, being used as the metallic circuit between the grounded circuit between the push button and bell.

lhat I claim is:

l. In a carrier system, the combination with a track, an endless cable following the said track, and means for driving' the said cable, of a traveler mounted on said track with freedom for lateral swinging movement, a carrier box supported by said traveler, and a flexible connection between said box and said endless cable, substantially as 35 described.

2. In a carrier system, the combination with suitable supports including posts having supporting brackets and guide sheaves thereon, of a track wire supported by said 4o brackets, an endless cable running over said guide sheaves, means for driving said cable at will, a truck mounted on said track wire, a box suspended from said truck with freedom for lateral swinging movement, and a 45 from said building along said supports, airo operating cable also extending from said building along said posts, a truck mounted on said track wire, a box carried by said truck with connection between said box and said operating cable, a push button at one V55 of the outer support-s grounded on one side and connected on the other side to said track wire, and an electrical actuated bell in the vicinity of said building grounded on one side and connected on the other side to '60 said track wire.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE V. KINNEY.

Iitnesses Enw. MYHRE, ANDREW Finsrxnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

